Spring bed-bottom



(No Model.)

- W. S. SIMPSDN.

' SPRING BED BOTTOM. No. 594,915. Patented Dec. 7, 1897.

MIME W W45 i: mmv 1 T N vz cnscomnmo-umo. WASHINGYON nu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. SIMPSON, OFIGRINNELL, IOWA.

SPRING BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 594,915, dated December '7, 1897. Application filed April 19, 1897. Serial No. 632,876. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. SIMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grinnell, in the county of Poweshiek and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Bedmay be easily repaired or replaced.

A further object is to provide a spring-mattress having a smooth and flat top surface which will not tend to injure mattresses or bedding when placed thereon.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth,pointe'd out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section of a bedstead and one of my improved mattresses in position thereon. Fig. 2 shows one of the brackets in perspective. Fig. 3 shows in perspective one of the springs, and Fig. 4 shows a perspective view illustrating one end of one of the cross-pieces.

Referring to the accompanying drawings the reference-numeral is used to indicate one of the side boards of a bedstead. The spring-mattress is secured to these side boards and designed to engage at any point any other part of the bed. It is supported upon the said side pieces by means of four brackets secured to the inner faces of the side boards, near each end thereof.

The reference-numeral 11 is used to indicate the central portion of the bracket, having its end portions turned at right angles at 12, and then again outwardly parallel to the part 11 at 13. 'These ends 13 are provided with screw-openings 14, whereby the brackets may be secured to the side board.

The reference-numeral 15 is used to indicate a straight reinforcing-piece secured by rivets or otherwise to the outer surface of the hate slats.

part 11 near its central portion. Above this reinforcing-piece the central portion of the bracket is divided at its vertical center, and the ends formed by the said division are bent inwardly at 16 and provided with screw-openings 17, whereby these ends may also be secured to the side boards of the bedstead. The shoulders 18 are formed on the top edge of these parts 16 in order to receive the springs, as hereinafter set forth. These springs are each formed from a single piece of fiat spring metal and comprise an approximately U- shaped loop 19, having one end bent at right angles at 20 and designed to rest on top of the part 16, withthe U-shaped part thereof between the part 11 and the side board of the bed. The said shoulder 18 aids in holding the top of the spring in place on the bracket, and the top of the spring is prevented from projecting above the brackets. The other end of the spring is bent first inwardly at 21, then upwardly at 22, and then outwardly at 23 to thereby form a pocket in which a cross-piece may rest.

The reference-numeral 21 indicates a rec tangular bar, preferably made of metal, with its ends of such a size and shape as to enter the pockets at the ends of the springs. Onthe outer faces of these cross-bars are a series of short plates 25, so arranged that openings 26 will appear at regular intervals along the front face of the cross-piece. Asolid plate 27 is then placed on top of the said sections and secured by screws or in any ordinary way.

The reference-numeral 28 is used to desig- They are preferably made of fiat metal bars of considerable width, having their ends bent at right angles downwardly at 29, designed to enter the openings26. These slats are of a length sufficient to enter the openings 26 in the cross-pieces 24: when the said cross-pieces are resting upon the brackets at the ends of the bed. They, however, need not be of sufficient strength to support the weight of one or more persons on the bedtop without bending. 4

In practical operation the device is attached to the bed by first securing the brackets to the side pieces thereof. The springs may then be forced into place, as shown in the drawings, and need not be held by screws'or other devices. After the springs are in place the cross-pieces 24 are inserted in the pockets of the springs, and finally the slats 28 are extended longitudinally of the bed, with their ends 29 inserted in the openings 26 of the end pieces. In placing the slats in position in the end pieces it is necessary to compress the springs 19 to a certain extent, and hence when they are in place the springs will operate to hold the slats in a horizontal position and prevent them from sagging downwardly at the central portion. When a weight is placed upon the slats, all the springs 19 will be compressed equally, and the cross-pieces 24: will be forced downwardly to rest upon the top edge of the part 11 and the reinforcingpiece 15, where they may slide longitudinally relative to the bed, the movement thereof being limited by the parts 16. It is obvious that should any part of the mattress become broken or its usefulness destroyed it may be readily and quickly detached and a new part substituted therefor. Furthermore, the parts may all be taken apart and packed in a compact manner for shipment or transportation. I-Ieretofore spring-mattresses have usually been made so that the parts could not be detached, and when packed to be shipped the mattress-frames have usually been as large as the bed itself, and hence the transportation or moving of these mattresses has been very difficult and expensive.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. A spring-mattress for bedsteads, comprising in combination, four brackets designed to be secured to the side pieces of a bedstead, two cross-pieces resting upon said brackets and capable of movement thereon longitudinally of the bedstead, springs for normally separating the cross-pieces and fieXible metallic slats detachably connected with the cross-pieces, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

2. A spring-mattress for bedsteads, comprising in combination, four brackets each composed of a flat central portion, inwardlybent ends provided with openings whereby they may be secured to the side pieces of a bedstead and having a recess at the top, a spring for each bracket having an approximately U-shaped body designed to enter between the bracket and the side board of the bed and having one end designed to engage a part of the bracket and its other end designed to receive a cross-piece, cross-pieces designed to be engaged by said springs and to rest in the said recesses in the brackets, and longitudinal slats connecting the said cross-pieces, for the purposes stated.

3. A spring-mattress for bedsteads, comprising in combination, four brackets each composed of a flat central portion, inwardlybent ends provided with openings whereby they may be secured to the side pieces of a bedstead and having a recess at the top, a spring for each bracket having an approximately U-shaped body designed to enter between the bracket and the side board of the bed and having one end designed to engage a part of the bracket and its other end designed to receive a cross-piece, rectangular bars designed to be engaged by the said spring and of such a length that their ends will rest in the recessed portions of the brackets on opposite sides of the bedstead and having vertical openings therein, and flat metal slats having their ends bent at right angles and designed to enter the said openings in the cross-pieces, all arranged and combined substantially in the manner set forth and for the purposes stated.

WILLIAM S. SIMPSON. Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. BURTON, W. H. Wnsco. 

